Accused music teacher calls situation a "gross misunderstanding"

Justin Pottle

Published 8:57 pm, Sunday, August 3, 2014

Details contained in the affidavit for the arrest of a Stamford musician for an "unsuitable request" made to a 10-year-old student at a Greenwich piano lesson suggests that it might not have been an isolated incident.

Sean Jackson, 41, of Stamford, had been a well-regarded organist and pianist before news of the alleged misconduct. He taught at the Stanwich School and the Convent of the Sacred Heart and directed music at the Stanwich Congregational Church prior to his July 23 arrest on charges of risk of injury to a minor. As of last week, Jackson no longer works at either of the two schools and has been promptly fired from his position with the church.

According to the affidavit, the request in question was for the student to remove an intimate article of clothing. The document suggests that Jackson had made a similar request of a student to take off their sweatpants in the past and that he may have made the requests in the context of a teaching method he called "visualization," in which he encouraged pianists to imagine themselves on the stage.

In a written statement provided to the police at the time Jackson turned himself in, he allegedly acknowledged he had made the request, but claimed he did not touch or molest the victim, a claim the victim corroborated in interviews with police.

Jackson's attorney Alex Hernandez declined to comment on the allegations.

The affidavit alleges that on April 25, 2014, Jackson said he asked his student to remove clothing as part of a "concentration exercise."

After being contacted by the alleged victim's parents, a school administrator confronted Jackson, who denied that he has ever asked the victim to remove clothing. However, he did acknowledge that he had spoken with the victim about how some of the clothing she was wearing was not proper concert attire and encouraged her to "visualize" performing at a concert during the exercise. He called the situation a "gross misunderstanding."

Though the victim initially related that it was the first time something of the sort had happened while she was being taught by Jackson, she later told a police investigator that he had made similar requests in the past.

On July 11, school administrators told the victim's family that a former student of Jackson's had had a similar experience during a "visualization exercise."

The allegations resulted in Greenwich Police seeking a warrant for Jackson's arrest, which was granted. Jackson was released on $500 bond and appeared in state Superior Court in Stamford, but did not file a plea.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about any other inappropriate acts potentially committed by Jackson to contact the GPD Special Victims Section at 203-622-8030.